9. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Christopher
My last text to Benjamin was left on read.
On fucking read. I slammed the brakes on my bike and stormed into my office, ready to fight anyone who dared get in my way.
The hunter had been hurt while on duty and that had left my wolf feeling unsettled and angry.
So angry in fact that I’d killed the men we were supposed to get answers out of by torturing them.
The torture had barely started before my wolf had taken over and killed them in seconds.
They had all been witches and had tried to break the ward around the library.
It seemed the “trap” that the hunter and vampire had walked into wasn’t a trap for them.
They’d simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time, the rogues aiming for the library with the witches.
Sadly, my darkening mood was all my pack could talk about.
Their usually cool and collected alpha had gone absolutely feral ever since he had to call in a vampire hunter.
At least they believed it was because my pride had been wounded.
Werewolves preferred to face things as a pack and they protected their own.
When I had to bite the bullet and call in help it had been the worst moment of my life.
Not really, though, the worst was when my father had been killed attaining our treasure.
It was the one thing I swore to him I would protect with my life; the one thing the rogue vampires so desperately wanted to get their bloody hands on.
Smacking the door closed to my office, I sat and once again pulled out my phone to check.
No reply. This human would be the death of me.
I had plans for myself. Plans that involved another werewolf, a female werewolf.
I wanted heirs; someone to take over the pack when my life ended.
It would likely end as tragically as my father’s had, in battle for our pack and our safety.
If only he knew how many deaths we’d had since getting our “treasure”; the thing that Mother had begged him for.
He’d died obtaining it. Such a foolish death.
To make matters worse, my mother was now sick after the death of her mate, leaving her fading away until she would eventually die of broken bond sickness.
Not that I really cared what happened to that heartless bitch of a woman.
A tentative knock came a second after I’d locked my phone, a clear sign a poor soul had lost whatever bet they had going in the station and was now forced to check up on the alpha.
I almost snorted at the thought. I wasn’t a touchy feely alpha, most were, due to their wolf’s need to feel close to their pack.
I was never like that. Maybe it was because of how I was raised.
Maybe it came from killing rogue vampires before I could even shift properly.
The knock came again and I relented. “Enter,” I called, trying to sound less grumpy but failed miserably.
Panu’s head poked in, likely assessing the situation before he fully committed to joining me. Whatever he saw in my expression made him swallow before appearing properly.
“Alpha.” He bowed his head in submission.
“Panu,” I replied, waiting for the question I knew was coming.
“Is everything okay, Alpha?” he asked, his eyes still downcast in submission. He seemed to understand I was a ticking bomb lately and didn’t want to push me too far.
“I am. Just a little busy lately with all the rogues, as you very well know, Panu.” I raised one brow, waiting for his gaze to meet mine, when it did, he quickly looked down again, slumping his posture.
“Anything we can do to help, Alpha?”
“You already do what I ask of you,” I reminded him. This wasn’t a let’s-help-our-alpha talk, but merely a need for gossip and I would rather die than turn into their sick entertainment.
Panu just nodded his head.
“But you can focus on training the others for what is to come. Unless you all would prefer to die facing the next horde of rogues?”
He swallowed, the fear evident in his eyes when he finally dared look at me again. “We won’t fail you,” he promised.
They also wouldn’t bother me again with their damn curiosity. “If that is all, Panu, please leave so I can write down the number of packmates we lost last night.”
That had him running. It was disheartening to see just how scattered our pack had become after Father passed away three months ago.
Why care about the reason for my anger when we keep losing packmates?
Why not realize that my anger could be because our town was getting attacked nightly?
Maybe they knew it was worse than that. Maybe they’d seen or noticed something about Benjamin.
One thing was certain. Benjamin couldn’t get away from me quick enough.
I needed to focus on my pack and getting an heir.
If only my stupid wolf would quit howling in dismay at rejecting the perfect human, who in his eyes, was damn delicious.
My phone rang and I knew without looking it was Juniper again. I growled low before answering. “Is she dead yet?”
Juniper’s huff of amusement said I wasn’t so lucky. “No, but she’s asking for you.”
Groaning, I stood and ended the call. Juniper knew I was coming, because I always did. Ten minutes later I was outside Mother’s bedroom door. The urge to flee was enough to make me even more agitated than before. Couldn’t she just die already?
Her frail body was covered by blankets where she rested on her bed. Her soon to be deathbed, if I had any say in it.
“Christopher,” she rasped, her once youthful tone long gone.
“Mother,” I greeted, purposely keeping a distance from the woman who’d birthed me.
“Have you found a mate yet?” she asked, clearly done with waiting around.
A flash of Benjamin came forth unbidden and a rush of protectiveness followed.
She would never accept my human mate, or that he was a man.
She wanted our pure werewolf bloodline to continue.
The only thing she ever did care about was her reputation.
I bet that was her only reason for still breathing.
The idea came to me suddenly and a rush of anticipation came over me. I’d given her long enough. I was done dealing with her. “I have, Mother,” I said, watching her eyes shine with hope.
“Oh? Is she pregnant?”
I shook my head, not even caring that I was pushing her heart to the limit. I’d been kind to let her pass in her own time, but enough was enough.
“It’s a he, actually. A human man. Gorgeous, too.”
She blinked. “A human?! You dare defile our family by choosing a human male?!”
“Well, technically we don’t get a say in who our mates are, Mother.”
“You always have a choice!” she snapped.
“You’re absolutely right,” I agreed, going for the kill.
“Which is why you’re still alive, isn’t it?
You didn’t mate with Father because you loved him.
No, you chose him and that was that. And now, three months after his passing, you’re still alive.
And you haven’t even wondered what that says about you. ”
“Wh-what?” she stammered.
“You don’t think our pack talks? You don’t think they call you a heartless monster for not following your mate in death? It was, after all, your treasure that got him killed.”
Pure rage filled her veins. Good. I needed her to be angry. Furious. I needed her to know just what a horrible being she was.
“It wasn’t my fault he failed!”
“He didn’t fail!” I roared. “He got the treasure and died from touching it and you know it!” I was so angry and I finally had someone to pour all my hatred out on.
Someone who deserved every drop of anger I held.
Someone who was the cause of so much heartbreak for me.
So, I didn’t allow her to defend herself, I kept going.
“Normal mates die within hours of their lost mate but not you. They wouldn’t force their mate out on a suicide mission for their own greedy gain, but you did, because you wanted to control the treasure and everything it held.
Now, you’re mateless, slowly wilting away while the rest of us are paying for your mistake.
You’re the reason we lost Father. The reason many hate you.
The reason no one has visited you once in the time you’ve been ill.
They don’t care. And now our pack will have a human in it.
And the best part is that you’ll have nothing.
You’ll be long gone and in your cold grave.
Not next to Father, but in a different town, an unknown location. ”
She was breathing hard and fast, her hand grabbing at her chest with fear. Then the best thing ever happened. Her eyes rolled back and a sigh escaped her.
Mother was finally dead.
A loud disappointed sigh came from the doorway. “You could’ve just shot her, you know?” Juniper drawled. “No need to make up a whole ass story.”
“But this way she went knowing what a heartless bitch she was,” I argued. “She went knowing she was hated by everyone.”
“That she was,” Juniper agreed. “You want a burial?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head as I watched the woman who should’ve loved and protected me.
She was nothing but a thin pile of bones now.
Nothing like the deadly weapon she’d once been.
But always heartless. At least Father had shown me love and respect.
Mother had been a cold parent and the reason I’d started killing way too early in life.
I wasn’t given a choice. She never gave me a choice.
But now she was gone, and I had nothing holding me back from finally doing what I wanted to do.
Something I hadn’t realized I truly wanted until I’d let all my anger out.
I left my childhood home and decided to run in my wolf form, running the last bits of anger out of my system as I carried my clothes and phone in a small plastic bag.
Once I was home, I showered, picturing Benjamin on his knees for me. I came way too fast and hated myself afterwards. I might’ve finally realized I wanted him, but I still didn’t want a human mate. Not if I could help it.
Suddenly a painful sensation grabbed at my chest, I held my hand to it as I slumped on the cold shower tiles, waiting for it to pass.
When it did, I scrambled for my phone, dialing Benjamin’s number in a haze.
Whatever just happened was because of him.
I could feel it, I had no idea why I knew, I just did. Mating bond or not.
I glared at my phone.
No answer.